Systems for securing objects sometimes become loose. While a small amount of adjustment is tolerable in some circumstances, the securing system can become too loose.
Individuals and companies use one type of securing system or another in their daily operations. From manufacturing, to product storage, to transport, holding objects securely in place is a common challenge. Regarding shipping, for instance, it has been reported that each year more than five-hundred large containers are displaced from cargo ships and into the sea in non-catastrophic episodes. Insecure commercial loads, whether at sea, on the highway, or on a shelf, can damage products or the environment, pose a safety or health risk, and be costly.
In non-commercial affairs, people commonly secure objects such car seats and small loads.
It is very difficult and in case impossible for a user to regularly determine whether a securing system is becoming too loose. Primary approaches of analysis include visual and manual inspection, such as simply viewing or pulling on a tie strap. These methods are not always reliable. A secure strap may appear sufficiently tight, for instance, when it is in fact not.
Many loads cannot be visually or manually inspected at all relevant times, such as by a driver of a vehicle carrying the load. For this reason, many securements are evaluated only when first secured, and occasionally at a later time, and still only visually or manually at those times.